Sea Deuce fought off favourite Big N Bad to win the $50,000 Tom Burke Memorial Pace for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Saturday night at Fraser Downs.
With the inside post advantage in the field of eight, Sea Deuce and driver Serge Masse set up shop on the front end. The Gord Abbott trainee led the way past fractions of :28, :58.2 and 1:25.4 with Big N Bad and Bill Davis pulling the pocket down the backstretch. The top two were head-to-head at the third quarter mark and continued to wage war down the stretch with Sea Deuce prevailing by a head in 1:55.4. Big N Bad settled for runner-up honours while the winner's entrymate, Ideal Art and John Abbott, followed two lengths behind in third.
Sea Deuce paid $6.10 to win as part of the Abbott entry sent off as the 2-1 second choice.
Seaspray Stables Ltd. of Nanaimo, B.C. owns both Sea Deuce and Ideal Art with B. Michael Timpano of Phelpston, Ont. also sharing ownership of the winner.
Sea Deuce is a homebred gelding sired by Armbro Deuce out of Cassidys Grin. Unraced as a freshman, Sea Deuce earned his first B.C. win from two provincial starts. He started his sophomore campaign in Ontario, where he earned his other victory at Woodbine Racetrack in February.
Masse drove a total of four winners on the 12-race card. His other victories were with his own trainees, including the maiden-breaking freshman colt Great Quote ($12.80) in another close race in 1:59.1, the repeating Mares Open champion Phone Terror ($5.90) in 1:55.2, and open length winner Panic At The Disco ($3.20) in 1:57.3.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Fraser Downs.